Carol

Are You a Rereader? What Makes You Reread A Book? #EleanorOliphantIsCompletelyFine [Book Review] #LetsTalkBookish #LetsDiscuss2022

February 2, 2022

Are you a rereader?

What makes you reread a book?

Are You a Rereader? Rereading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (white text over a background of a stack of hardback books)

 

Image Source: Canva

Some avid readers are rereaders and some are not. Which are you?

How do you decide what to reread? What makes you want to reread? Are you a frequent rereader or an occassional rereader? Maybe you’ve never reread a book and can tell us why.

I’m reviewing Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (a reread) in today’s blog post.

I was going to clean the house, but then I realised.l..this book isn't going to read itself (Image: a young woman sits on the floor leaning against a cabinet reading a book)

I love discussion posts, and many of my favorite bloggers participate in Let’s Talk Bookish and the Discussion Challenge. Do you love discussion posts?

As I answer the questions, think about how you would answer them for yourself. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

This post is inspired by the Let’s Talk Bookish topic hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. This post is also an entry for the 2022 Discussion Challenge (this is also my sign up post), hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.

2022 Discussion Challenge (meme)

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Am I a Rereader?

Not really. I seldom reread. So many books, so little time! The few books I have reread are on my lifetime favorites list. I can’t envision rereading a book I didn’t absolutely love. Are you a rereader?

What Motivates Me to Reread?

Upon reading the last page of a book I really really loved, I put it on my lifetime favorites list. These are the books that I choose from if I’m going to reread.

I realize that rereading can have a different purpose from the first read. Maybe in a reread I can pay closer attention to the author’s writing and style; maybe I’m looking for clues that I missed or evidence for why the author chose a certain ending; maybe I’m looking for evidence for a conclusion I drew from the author’s open ending; maybe its to revisit certain themes or beloved characters; or maybe the book was just so beautiful that I want to immerse myself in that world again. I’m a fairly fast reader, so rereading helps me focus on other elements (besides a pageturning plot).

What motivated me to reread the book I’m reviewing today?

  • I LOVED it!
  • The jaw dropping ending had me immediately contemplating a reread some day so that I could appreciate the way the author constructed the story and developed the characters.
  • A few members of my online book club chose to read this book in January and I thought it would be fun to reread and discuss it with others.
  • I read it before blogging and have never written a formal review (which you’ll receive today!).

My Biggest Drawbacks in Rereading:

  1. Because I only reread books from my lifetime favorites list, I’m always afraid that I won’t love it as much as the first time.
  2. So many books, so little time.
  3. I suffer from FOMO and I’m distracted by the new and shiny, so the pleasure of rereading gets pushed to the back burner.

Can you relate to any of my drawbacks?

What Books Have I Reread?

See? It’s not many! There are so many books and so little time that I seldom feel I have the time to invest in a reread. The reason I reread the last three MG books is that I’m in a MG book club and I wanted to reread the selections before I made the recommendations. How many books have you reread?

What Books Would I Like to Reread Next?

  1. A Place For Us
  2. Anxious People
  3. The Hiding Place

Do you have a reread planned?

Today’s Review and My Recent Reread:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (cover)

My Summary:

Eleanor has a carefully constructed life and daily routine, avoids close relationships, and says exactly what she thinks. Her weekends involve frozen pizza and vodka. Every Wednesday she talks with Mummy. The day she meets easy going and big-hearted Raymond, the IT guy, things begin to change as she opens her heart to friendship.

My Thoughts:

(I think this is a story best read without reading reviews first, so proceed with caution as I might reveal more than you want to know.)

Common Misconception: I frequently hear Eleanor Oliphant described as humorous and quirky. My opinion differs. Yes, Eleanor is outspoken and her observations and comments are candid and at times snarky. Many times, her behaviors and observations brought a smile to my face. However, there’s obviously so much more going on that I wouldn’t describe it as humorous or quirky. I think of it more as a story of trauma and survival.

The Hero: Raymond is the hero in the story. He’s kind, nonjudgemental, accepting, encouraging, consistent, persistent, understanding, thoughtful, and patient. A true friend. A “foil” to all the unkind people at work. I hope that you have a Raymond in your life and you are a Raymond to others. #ChooseKindness

I LOVE brave Eleanor. I admire Eleanor and her ability to carve out the life she does in spite of her past trauma which is alluded to throughout the story. She is a survivor. I love that Raymond is her friend (and I hope much more!).

“I felt the heat where his hand had been; it was only a moment, but it left a warm imprint, almost as though it might be visible. A human hand was exactly the right weight, exactly the right temperature for touching another person, I realized. I’d shaken hands a fair bit over the year–more so recently–but I hadn’t been touched in a lifetime.”

Guaranteed UNFORGETTABLE. This is a difficulty story to review because it’s best “to discover for yourself.” After I read the last page, I KNEW that this story would demand a reread. I was engaged as much on the reread as I was the first time even though I knew the big reveal. The way Gail Honeyman constructs the story and develops the character is masterful!

Compelling Themes: loneliness, bravery, honesty, survival, unconditional love, healing, acceptance, friendship, and restoration.

***contains spoilers***
Content Considerations: past spousal abuse and domestic violence, past childhood neglect and violence, suicide attempt, alcholism, workplace harassment (bullying)

Highly Recommended: I realize that this might not be a book for everyone, but Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is on my lifetime favorites list and I highly encourage you to give this unique story a try. Recommended for readers who appreciate complex personalities and complicated lives. I’ve heard Eleanor Oliphant compared to other “quirky” reads and characters, but for me she is in a category all her own and can not be compared. Have you read it?

My Star Rating: 5 Stars

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (cover)

Eleanor Oliphant Information Here.

Meet the Author, Gail Honeyman

Gail HoneymanGail was born and raised in Stirling, Scotland. Her mother was as a civil servant and her father a scientist. Gail was an avid reader in her childhood, visiting the library “a ridiculous number of times a week” due to her passion for books.

She studied French language and literature at the Glasgow University and continued her education at the University of Oxford, starting a postgraduate course in French poetry. However, Gail realised that an academic career was not for her and she started a string of “backroom jobs”. She worked at first as a civil servant in economic development and then as an administrator at Glasgow University.

While working at Glasgow University, Gail enrolled in a Faber Academy writing course, writing the first three chapters of what would become Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Cambridge’s Lucy Cavendish College was running a competition for unpublished fiction by female writers and it was just what she was looking for to fulfill her lifelong passion for reading, so she submitted her work and the rest is history. The novel was published in 2017 and earned numerous awards, sold millions of copies, and received wide critical acclaim.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine won the 2017 Costa First Novel Award.

 

QOTD:

What makes you reread or not reread? What is the last book you reread?

Have you read Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine?

If you are a rereader, what has been your favorite reread?

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.

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51 comments

  1. Lovely, well thought out post, Carol. Before I began blogging, I reread a lot more. I do have a couple of series that I love. When a new book is set to release, I like to reread the previous book to refresh my mind. The Outlander series is a good example. I just ordered the newest and it’s been many many years in the pipeline. I’ll need a refresh before I start it.

    Reply

    • Thanks Gina! Yes, blogging takes up some of our reading time! I love when I discover a series after it’s all been published so I can binge them!

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      • Very true. If George R.R. Martin ever publishes another in the Game of Thrones series, I’ll have to do a bit of refresh. I tried to watch the tv show, but struggled with it not matching the books.

  2. I wish I did re-read but ever since I started blogging and got introduced to a zillion new authors and titles, there just hasn’t been the chance. There are all those 000s of unread books clamouring for attention. The books I’ve re-read have generally been classics – they are the ones that to me withstand more than one read. Hence I’ve read Middlemarch at least 6 times.
    I like your tactic of keeping a list for potential rereads. Whenever I finished a book I loved I used to put it on a particular bookshelf. I cleared it of most of those books last year, figuring that a) I was never going to have the time b)I needed space and c) I could get a copy from the library if I had the urge

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  4. I’m also reluctant to reread, mostly because of all the unread books on my shelf! Your review of Eleanor Oliphant has really made me want to pick it up again though – I loved the characters so much 📚❤️ X x x

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  5. What a great discussion post. I don’t usually reread as l, like you said, there are so many books and such little time. I am however starting to reread my collection of books I read prior to blogging. Call it OCD but I’d like to review all the books in my collection and see how my thoughts changed from reading some as a teenager. The only other time I reread is if a book is part of a series, but this is usually a slim read to refresh my memory if it’s been a while.

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    • Thanks for adding your thoughts! It really is interesting to reread a Fav from our younger years! I’m always afraid of being disappointed and ruining my memory!

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    • Thanks for stopping by and adding to our discussion! I think it’s a great idea to reread classics! So many books so little time!

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  8. I do like discussion posts. This one made me think hard about my reading habits. Unlike most people commenting, I’m not a blogger so that doesn’t take up my time.

    I never reread books. There are simply too many books on my TBR list. However, I do blitz series when I’m not quite ready to move on from the characters and setting. I recently read a post which mentioned the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I thought it might be interesting to reread it decades later to see if it still has the magic.

    I read fan fiction, and there are certain stories that I have read numerous times. Usually when I’m sick or want to read something that doesn’t demand my full concentration. These ones are extremely well crafted, in terms of plot and characterization, and over 100k words long. They are simply masterpieces!

    Reply

    • Thanks for adding your thoughts to our discussion Adrienne! I’m always afraid when I reread a beloved title that it won’t have the same magic as the first time! So I usually set a certain purpose for rereading..like with Eleanor I wanted to notice little clues the author had placed in the story that led to the jawdropping ending!

      Reply

  9. I love this topic as well! I’m actually not a rereader. At all. I tried a long time ago and couldn’t get into it because I already knew what happened and found myself skipping pages *gasp*. That said I find myself (years older since my last attempt) wanting to pick up books that brought me comfort at one time. We’ll see. I feel the same as many other comments on here that my TBR is overwhelming as it is. I’ll rewatch shows and movies till I can quote the whole thing but not so much with books.

    Reply

    • Thanks for adding your thoughts! I rarely reread and it’s always a book I’ve really really loved!! I’m always afraid it’s not going to have the same magic….and then there’s the FOMO of the new and shiny!

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  11. I rarely reread as I normally feel complete after having finished a story. There’s one exception and that’s the In Death series by J. D. Robb. I reread that series three times when there were 35 books. I inhaled them the first time, then went back and read it again, picking up this’d missed. When I finished, I couldn’t let the characters go so…one more time! Since then, I’ve only reread a couple of books to lead a book discussion.

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  12. I’m with you. There are too many books out there that I want to read to spend lots of time re-reading. Like you, I only re-read my very favorites and that’s only every few years (with the exception of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, which I read every December). The only other time I re-read is when I want to continue on in a series and I can’t remember who’s who and what’s what. It drives me crazy, though, to “waste” time doing that!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

    Reply

    • That’s a nice tradition to reread a special book once a year. I know someone who reads Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk every New Years Eve and Day!

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  14. This is a fantastic post!

    I do reread, but not as much as I used to because I read more ARCs now than I did before.

    Why do I reread? Quite simply it’s the love of a book/series or sometimes getting ready for the next installment to release.

    I reread the Hollows series every October. It’s just a fun Urban Fantasy and the characters feel like friends/family at this point. 😁

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  16. I will only reread my absolute favorites! So a small handful or some book that makes me wistful for some reason.

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  17. Excellent post Carol. I am not a rereader. If I do read a book again, it is for a couple of reasons. 1) it is a series and I need to refresh my memory before reading the next book (I will skim read in this case) 2) I have picked up a book with a new cover or different title and am partway in before I realize I already read it. I have continued to read as I don’t remember a lot about the book. Having said that, I do reread favourite kid’s and MG books as I read them to my children when they were young and now to my grandkids.

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  18. I subscribed to this post and have read the responses. It is very clear that people don’t reread books. Therefore, I have to wonder why people keep their books and invest in bookshelves and whatnots.

    I’ve been reading exclusively on my Kindle or iPad (for library loans) for many years now. I’ll borrow an occasional bestseller and reference paper book at the library. Yet, my bookcases were once groaning for the weight of books I enjoyed reading years ago. During my last move, I sorted through them. It’s amazing how the fonts have changed for the better! I thought if I wanted to reread the book, I could aways buy the Kindle version or check it out from the library. I donated the vast majority to a senior living place near me. It was quite a freeing experience.

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    • Rereading is an interesting discussion! Several years ago I re homed my physical books. I miss my dear friends but it’s so much easier in some ways to have a digital library. Not to mention, I enjoy being able to enlarge the print!

      Reply

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